मुझे माफ कर दो
mujhe maaf kar do
The Hindi phrase for saying sorry to someone you hurt is मुझे माफ कर दो (mujhe maaf kar do).
This phrase is used as an expression to ask for forgiveness from someone you have offended or hurt.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase मुझे माफ कर दो literally translates to 'Forgive me'. The word mujhe means 'me', maaf means 'forgiveness' or 'forgive' and kar do is the imperative form of 'to do'.
Which one should you use?
The default form मुझे माफ कर दो is used in informal settings. For a more formal expression, you can use माफ़ कीजिए (maaf kijiye), which means 'Please forgive me, I am very sorry for causing you (mistake/hurt).'
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the apology more respectful or formal, you can replace the ending do with dijiye to say मुझे माफ कर दीजिए.
How do you pronounce it?
mujhe maaf kar do
Did you know?
- In many Indian cultures, a sincere apology is often accompanied by the physical act of touching an elder's feet to show deep remorse and respect.
- In urban India, many speakers prefer the English word 'sorry' over मुझे माफ कर दो because the Hindi phrase can feel emotionally heavier or too formal for minor mistakes.
- The word दो in your apology is actually a distant relative of the English word 'two'.
Examples in context
- मुझे माफ कर दो, मैंने झूठ बोला।mujhe maaf kar do, maine jhooth bola.Please forgive me, I lied.
- मेरी गलती थी, मुझे माफ कर दो।meri galti thi, mujhe maaf kar do.It was my mistake, please forgive me.
- मैं बहुत दुखी हूँ, मुझे माफ कर दो।main bahut dukhi hoon, mujhe maaf kar do.I am very sorry, please forgive me.
Example conversation
Rahul accidentally broke Pooja's favorite pen.
- राहुल Rahulपूजा, मैंने तुम्हारा पेन तोड़ दिया, मुझे माफ कर दो।Pooja, maine tumhara pen tod diya, mujhe maaf kar do.Pooja, I broke your pen, please forgive me.
- पूजा Poojaयह मेरा पसंदीदा पेन था!Yeh mera pasandida pen tha!That was my favorite pen!
- राहुल Rahulमैं तुम्हें नया पेन दिलाऊँगा, मुझे माफ कर दो।Main tumhein naya pen dilaunga, mujhe maaf kar do.I will get you a new pen, please forgive me.
- पूजा Poojaठीक है, कोई बात नहीं।Theek hai, koi baat nahi.Okay, it's no problem.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries कर, दो, CC BY-SA 4.0.
